Electric instrument for medical use



D HARRINGTON,

I Electric'lnstrument for Medical Use. v No. 4,176. Patented Sept. 2,1845.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

DANIEL HARRINGTON, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN GALVAN|C INSTRUMENTS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 4, 176, dated September2, 1845.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, DANIEL HARRINGTON, of the city of Philadelphia and.State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and improved mode ofconveying galvanic electricity (for the cure or alleviation of disease)into the human system through the different cavities thereof,particularly through the rectum and Vagina, and also, by the sameinstrumental process, a new and improved mode of accompanying the saidgalvanicinfluencc by life-giving action in the way of alternatedistention and contraction of the parts in quick succession; and I dohereby declare the following is a full and exact description.

In the drawings, Figure l is a perspective view; Figs. 2 and 3, partsdetached.

The nature of my invention consists in constructing two pieces of metal,one of zinc, a, the other of copper, b, (or of any other metals thatwill produce galvanic action,) about eight or nine inches in length foran adult (male or female) of ordinary size. About five to six inches ofthe zinc piece a from one end is made of a triangular form, (a circularor other form would answer, but not so well,) with the corners sorounded as not to be liable to injure the delicate lining-membrane of acavity. This triangular part is in diameter about six-tenths of an inchand tapers a trifle toward its rounded end, which end is rounded for thepurpose of its entering acavity with easeand without doing injury to thepart. The other (say outer) end of this zinc piece is flattened on oneside from near the triangular part to its end in a slanting form, sothat it is only about one-half of the thickness at this end that it iswhere the triangular part commences, and where a flange or collar, 0, isattached. The triangular end I call the inner and the flattened ,end theouter. The opposite or back side of this flattened part is slightlyrounded at its corners. This collar is of zinc and cast on, and is abouttwo and one-half inches in length by one and three-fourth inch in width,(it may be greater or less,) and rounded at its corners, rendering itnearly oval in form. It is about one-eighth of an inch in thickness atits connection with the abovedescribed zinc piece and thinner at itscircumference. This collar has a small opening through it in the form ofa an oblong mortise, cl, at its junction with the flat side of the zincpiece, a trifle longer than the width of the zinc and about one-eighthto one-fourth of an inch wide. It has also. immediatel y above thecentral part of this oblong mortise, a small projection, e, of zinc,cast on, (or the back side of said collar,) through which a small holeis made, about one-tenth of an inch in diameter, at a right angle withthe zinc piece and continued quite through the zinc piece. The use ofthis hole will be hereinafter described. Upon each edge of this zincpiece, immediately at the junction of the collar on the back side, is asmall projection,f, of zinc, cast on, sufliciently large to admitof asmall groove in each, which grooves are to hold in place a small string,g, made of any non-conductin g substance, and which non-conductor passesquite around and is tied on the back side of said zinc piece, andthereby made stationary immediately adjoining the back side of thecollar. This non-conductor is required to be sufficiently large toprevent the contact of the copper piece (hereinafter to be described) atthat part with the zinc piece; or a square piece of leather or any nonor bad conducting substance may be put between the metals at the sameplace and held in its proper position by the string (hereinafter to bedescribed) passing through it.

There is also a small piece of bone, h, or any non-conducting substance,inserted into the zinc piece near its inner end, which prevents at alltimes the contact of the metals at that .end.

The copper piece b or counterpart of this said instrument is flat fromend to end, and corresponds in width with the zinc piece, and is inthickness about a small eighth of an inch, with its edges somewhatrounded, and likewise the inner end. About an inch back of the collar(when it is in itsplace) the outer end, 12, is bent upward, forming aright angle. About three-fourths of an inch from said angle, in thecenter of this copper piece, is a small hole, 2', about one eighth of aninch in diameter, the use of which will be seen below. This coppercounter half of the instrument is coated with silver by the commongalvanic process; or it may be plated with silver, the object beingmerely to prevent the copper from touching the flesh or its membrane.This counterpart, in putting the instrument together, is passed throughthe mortise above-described until the holes above described are in arange with each other, and a non-conducting pin of wood or ivory, or athong of leather, k, is passed through the same, which holds the partstogether and renders the instrument complete for use.

In the application of this instrument to a cavity of the humansystem-say the rectumit is first to be oiled or lubricated at its innerend to enable it to be inserted with ease, and then pressed in until thecollar stops it. A less distance may be made to answer. The turned-upcopper end is then to be moved to the right and left as far as it willgo in quick succession by the thumb and finger of either hand. In thisway the two metals are brought into contact on each side, and eachcontact produces a delicate shock and simultaneously a gentle mechanicalmovement or action in the intestine as far inward as the instrument ismade to reach.

A much greater or more powerful mechanical movement, and simultaneouslya galvanic shock, maybe given by pressing the turnedup end backward, ortoward the feet of the patient, with such force as may be convenientlyborne.

The improvements embraced in this new instrument, and for which I askLetters Patent, are- The method of combining the pieces of copper andzinc into an instrument, said pieces being insulated from each other,and having liberty to rock so as to touch together by being moved to theright or left, and thereby produce a galvanic shock, (while they are soaffected they produce mechanical aetion,) all as above described, bywhich a much greater (see above) number of shocks are experienced in agiven time than the ordinary instrument in any of its forms can be madeto do, and thereby furnishing a large increase of curative or medicinalpower.

The above-named improvements, it will be seen, are threefold. There isalso one other improvement embraced in this instrument which isimportant to such invalids as are feeble in the strength of theirfingers, which is a usual thing with emaciated females. The shocksproduced by moving the turned-up end to the right or left can beaccomplished with the least possible exertion of the hand or thumb andfinger.

It is my intention to vary the construction of this newly-improvedgalvanic electric instrument, so as to adapt it to the requisitions ofthe various cavities of the human system and :the wants of invalids ofall descriptions, still preserving and embracing its general principles,features, and improvements, as above described and claimed; and I dohereby declare that it is not my intention to claim anything herein thatis embraced inmy former Letters Patent.

DANIEL HARRINGTON.

Witnesses:

JOHN THOMPSON, SIMON GoLToN.

